It’s getting colder outside and it is time to start cranking your home heating system, but why is it still cold in your house? Just because the windows and doors of your home are closed & the heater is on doesn’t mean your house will stay warm. The bitter cold of winter can show us where our home is leaking air and raising our gas & electric bills by overusing our heating and cooling systems to compensate.

If you’re sitting on your couch and you feel a slight breeze of cool air, you might have a draft in your home. There are several contributors to having a drafty home and, luckily, there are simple ways to locate and fix the air leaks! When there is a leak in your home, the air inside of the home escapes outside and the outdoor air invades the desired controlled temperature of your home.

How do you locate the source of the draft?

First, notice what room you’re in when you feel it the most. Is it a certain part of the room, like when you’re sitting on the couch? Or is it a general coldness you can feel in multiple rooms?

The most common culprits for air leaks include, but are not limited to, windows, doors, attics, and fireplaces. Sometimes, even light fixtures and electrical outlets can allow air in, if the insulation is old or lacking. There are several ways to remedy unwanted airflow in your home.

Here are some easy ways to fix the draft in your home:

Check the Attic

Heat rises & if there is not enough insulation to keep the heat from leaving the house through the attic, the heated air will rise straight out of your house and let the cold in. Sometimes holes in the roof at the culprit. If you’re not sure, hire a contractor to inspect the attic for you.

Shut the Fireplace Damper

Fires can offer a great source of warmth when they’re in use, but when they’re not blazing, the fireplace becomes a wind tunnel directly in to your living room or bed room. One easy way to keep the cold out and the heat in, is to close the damper between uses. Don’t forget to reopen it before next use though, or you’ll end up with a house full of smoke!

Replace the Weather Stripping on Windows & Doors

As our homes age and slightly deteriorate from normal wear and tear, the rubber pieces that help line up our windows and doors can also wear out. Dried and cracked rubber will not fill the seams of your windows and doors like new, elastic rubber. When the space between the door and the door frame (or window and window frame) is not fully sealed with the rubber, air will make its way inside and out. You might be able to tell when to replace the rubber or you can ask a contractor! Sometimes the windows themselves are the culprit. Read more about windows here.